Petty Officer 1st Class Regan Young (Courtesy U.S. Navy)
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — The Navy has identified the sailor who died Nov. 23 aboard the USS Essex while the ship was anchored off Bali, Indonesia.
Petty Officer 1st Class Regan Young, 37, lost consciousness after suffering blunt trauma during a daily check of the ship’s weapons systems, Navy officials said. The ship’s Fleet Surgical Team tried unsuccessfully to revive him and he was pronounced dead on board, officials said.
Young, a personnel specialist on the Essex, is survived by his wife and children, according to a statement released Thanksgiving Day on Facebook by Capt. David Fluker, commander of the Wasp-class multipurpose amphibious assault ship.
Citing an ongoing investigation, Navy officials declined to comment further on the incident — including why a sailor in personnel was near weapons systems that were being checked.
Young was named the Navy Cash Sailor of the Month for July 2010 by the Navy Supply Systems Command Headquarters for his oversight of the Navy Cash system aboard the ship. Navy Cash is an electronic funds system that was developed to limit the amount of currency sailors carry during deployments.
An article on Young in the Navy Cash bulletin that announced his award cited his “hard charging work ethic” and called him a “leader of the highest caliber.” It went on to say he had the “highest degree of customer satisfaction” and was an “indispensable” to the system and crew of the Essex.
In addition, he was hailed by his fellow sailors for his kindness on Facebook message boards.
A memorial service has been tentatively scheduled for Dec. 12 at Sasebo Naval Base chapel, according to base spokesman Charles Howard.
